Top 5 Best Lawn Care Companies and Services For a Greener Lawn in 2022
Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide:
- How to make lawn care as eco-friendly as possible
- What to look for in a quality lawn care company
- The top 5 lawn services in the U.S.
- How to choose the best lawn care team for your needs
Why You Can Trust EcoWatch
We work with a panel of experts to create unbiased reviews that empower you to make the right choice for your home. No lawn care site has covered the root issues as long as EcoWatch, which means we’re dedicated to pointing you in a sustainable direction. Our rankings are never affected by revenue or partnerships.
Top 5 Best Lawn Care Companies and Services
EcoWatch is all about finding solutions — especially to issues that are hard for eco-conscious homeowners to navigate. As much as we wish every homeowner would turn their yard into an eco-friendly oasis full of vegetable and pollinator gardens, lawns in America aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
So, how do you make your lawn care more sustainable? Our review of the best lawn care companies will help you choose a service provider that uses natural products and the most organic solutions for a green lawn.
50 States
Average cost
Sunday
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All-natural products
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Commitment to sustainability
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Great reputation
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DIY lawn care might not work for every homeowner
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Relatively young company
Services Offered
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DIY Lawn Services
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Customized Lawn Care
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Weed Control
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Grass Seed
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Pest Solutions
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Fertilization
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Spot Treatments
50 States
Average cost
Lawnbright
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All-natural products
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Commitment to sustainability
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Makes charitable contributions
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DIY lawn care might not work for every homeowner
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Relatively young company
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Slightly expensive
Services Offered
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DIY Lawn Services
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Customized Lawn Care
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Weed Control
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Pest Solutions
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Fertilization
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Spot Treatments
18 States
Average cost
Clean Air Lawn Care
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Great reputation
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Uses solar-powered and electric mowers
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Makes charitable contributions
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All-natural products
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Service area still growing
Services Offered
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Fertilization
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Pest Solutions
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Weed Control
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Mowing & Trimming
50 States
Average cost
TruGreen (TruNatural)
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Full-service lawn care
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Great reputation
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Many years of experience
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Satisfaction guarantee
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Limited natural care options
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Not totally dedicated to sustainability
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Slightly expensive
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Not all products are 100% organic
Services Offered
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Customized Lawn Care
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Weed Control
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Fertilization
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Pest Solutions
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Grass Seed
39 States
Average cost
Lawn Doctor
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Wide array of organic services
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Satisfaction guarantee
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Many years of experience
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Limited natural care options
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Not totally dedicated to sustainability
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Not all products are 100% organic
Services Offered
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Customized Lawn Care
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Grass Seed
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Fertilization
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Pest Solutions
Jump To: Top Lawn Care Companies | Sunday Review | Lawnbright Review | Clean Air Lawn Care Review | TruGreen Review | Lawn Doctor Review | Choosing the Best Company | Cost of Lawn Care | Final Thoughts | How We Rate Lawn Companies
What Are the Top Lawn Care Companies?
- Sunday: Best DIY Service
- Lawnbright: Best for Weed Prevention
- Clean Air Lawn Care: Best Full-Service Sustainable Company
- TruGreen (TruNatural): Best Availability
- Lawn Doctor: Best Guarantee
Please note that the companies reviewed below are mainly focused on lawn care services and may not offer landscaping, hardscaping or gardening services.
Sunday: Best DIY Service
Sunday Lawn Care is a subscription service selling customized, eco-friendly lawn care products across America. Sunday does not send professional lawn care specialists to your house but instead sends you a customized box with products for you to tend to your lawn or tree care needs. You’ll send the company a soil sample to analyze and it will customize your lawn’s treatment plan.
Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating | Not Rated |
Year Started | 2019 |
Geographic Availability | All 50 states |
Price Range | Subscriptions $119/year, plus a la carte products ranging from $31-$60 |
What We Like About Sunday | Commitment to sustainable lawn solutions with all-natural products and environmental impact reports |
What Could Be Improved | Only offers hands-off, DIY services, which may not work for every homeowner |
Sunday Environmental Impact
Sunday is on a mission to remove pesticides from lawns to protect the planet — that’s music to our ears here at EcoWatch. According to its most recent Annual Impact Report, Sunday’s customers helped to remove close to 60,000 pounds of pesticides in 2021, while also helping to support local ecosystems and habitats.1
Sunday’s fertilizer is full of organic nutrients to help your lawn become more self-sustaining, unlike traditional lawn care products that force your soil and grass to become dependent on chemicals.
Sunday Services & Pricing
With its customized subscription box, you can get a mix of Sunday products tailored to your lawn care needs. If you don’t want an annual subscription, you can buy certain Sunday lawn care products individually from the website.
Here’s a look at some of Sunday’s product options and pricing:
- Custom lawn care subscription: Starts at $119 per year
- Dandelion Doom Herbicide Set: $32
- Weed Warrior Herbicide Set: $32
- Fescue Rescue Grass Seed (5 lbs): $31
- Bug Doom Home Barrier Sprayer: $60
Our Take on Sunday
The lawn care industry is not exactly known for its sustainability, but we like that Sunday is actively trying to lessen the impact it has on the environment. Sunday offers a wide range of solutions for lawn maintenance — including fertilization, grass seeding, weed and dandelion removal, mosquito control and treatment for pet spots — while sticking to 100% natural products. Sunday is one of the few lawn care companies that showcase an environmental impact report on their websites, which shows that it’s honest about its mission. Overall, we think Sunday is a great option for eco-conscious homeowners who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty in the yard.
Lawnbright: Best for Weed Prevention
Lawnbright is another DIY lawn care subscription service focusing on chemical- and toxin-free products. With Lawnbright, you’ll receive a shipment every eight weeks filled with all-organic lawn fertilizers and soil conditioners. Your lawn treatment plan is based on a quiz you’ll take about your yard’s current health when you sign up for the service. You’ll receive a soil sample kit with your first delivery to send back to Lawnbright for analysis.
Lawnbright is currently the only company on this list that offers a natural pre-emergent weed control product, which is pretty huge.
BBB Rating | Not Rated |
Year Started | 2021 |
Geographic Availability | All 50 states |
Price Range | Subscription starts at $200/year, plus a la carte options ranging from $28-$65 |
What We Like About Lawnbright | Offers all-natural preventive weed care, along with all other lawn care product needs |
What Could Be Improved | We think Lawnbright has a bright future, but the company is very new, so there’s no way to tell if its products will hold up over time. Also, it’s a bit more expensive compared to its DIY competitors. |
Lawnbright Environmental Impact
Lawnbright is on a similar mission to make lawn care more sustainable, using limited, natural ingredients and no harsh chemicals. While it doesn’t feature an environmental impact report on its website like Sunday, you can find product ingredient lists for all of Lawnbright’s products. You’ll find zero synthetic ingredients in all of its soil conditioners and pre-emergents, and most of its fertilizers, too. It does have one fertilizer that is not 100% natural, but the company calls this out on its website, saying:
“In one fertilizer (Green Machine), a petroleum product and/or natural gas was used in the making of the fertilizer, even if the main ingredient comes from naturally occurring sources. When fertilizers are produced this way, they lose some of the other naturally occurring trace minerals and other bio-life that it may contain. This is referred to as synthetic fertilizer. In order to correct for the trace minerals and other bio life that is lost in the production process, we add an organic bio package to help the soil and plant life, so there is a positive end result on the soil.”2
Additionally, Lawnbright partners with a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called Non-Toxic Communities, which works to stop toxic pesticide use in public landscapes, like parks and schools.
Lawnbright Services & Pricing
With Lawnbright’s custom lawn care plan, you get a mix of soil and conditioners every eight weeks, paused throughout the winter. If you like having some guidance for your DIY yard maintenance, you can sign up for Lawnbright’s “Lawn Intelligence” text alerts, which will give you simple instructions on how to take care of your lawn, taking local weather into account. You can even add a lawn consulting session with a member of Lawnbright’s Turf Team, though the company does not specify how much extra it charges for that service.
Aside from its subscription plan, Lawnbright offers individual products for specific treatments, like crabgrass and weed control and pet spot repair. Here’s a look at some of Lawnbright’s product options and pricing:
- Custom Lawn Care Plan: About $200 per year
- Organic Pre-Emergent Weed Control (32 oz): $65
- Organic Mosquito and Tick Control (32 oz): $35
- Pet Spot Repair (32 oz): $28
Our Take on Lawnbright
As a DIY natural lawn care subscription service, Lawnbright’s offerings are very similar to Sunday’s. Lawnbright sends its customers easy-to-use products, many of which you can attach and spray directly from your hose. The biggest advantage Lawnbright has over Sunday — and really any other all-natural lawn care service — is that it offers a weed-control product to treat lawns before weeds emerge, compared to a weed killer.
Clean Air Lawn Care: Best Full-Service Sustainable Company
Clean Air Lawn Care prides itself on providing the nation’s leading full-service sustainable lawn care services. With solar-powered and electric lawn mowers, organic fertilizers, organic waste recycling and quiet equipment, Clean Air Lawn Care cuts down on harmful fertilizers and noise pollution, pioneering a path toward clean, quiet and sustainable lawn care. It currently operates in 18 states, with a call for more franchisees to join on its website.
BBB Rating | A+ |
Year Started | 2006 |
Geographic Availability | AL, CA, CO, DE, GA, ID, KY, LA, MA, MO, NC, OH, OK, OR, SC, TX, WA, WY |
Price Range | Varies by location |
What We Like About Clean Air Lawn Care | Goes beyond lawn treatment and fertilization, offering quiet, zero-emission mowers and other equipment to offer a complete lawn care service. |
What Could Be Improved | It currently only operates in 18 states and limited cities. However, Clean Air is looking for franchisees, so expansion is inevitable. |
Clean Air Lawn Care Environmental Impact
Clean Air’s mission is to change the way Americans care for their lawns in the hope of improving quality of life for communities and the environment. Its core values include exercising environmental stewardship as well as social sustainability by giving back to communities with environmental education, outreach and volunteering.
Clean Air Lawn Care doesn’t have an environmental impact report, but it does outline the hidden dangers of typical lawn care products on its website and how they differ. Clean Air uses solar-powered and electric equipment that’s cleaner (and quieter), along with organic lawn care products that are pet- and kid-friendly.
Clean Air Lawn Care Services & Pricing
Clean Air Lawn Care offers the following services for its customers:
- Organic lawn fertilization
- Organic weed control
- Solar and/or electric powered mowers, trimmers, blowers and edgers
- Natural mosquito control
Clean Air Lawn Care doesn’t display any of its prices online and instead asks that you reach out to the company for a free quote. Because Clean Air has franchises throughout the country, pricing may vary depending on your local provider.
Our Take on Clean Air Lawn Care
Clean Air Lawn Care is the best all-natural full-service lawn company on our list. It doesn’t offer comprehensive natural products like Sunday or Lawnbright, but it is a great option for the busy homeowner who may not have the time or desire to DIY their lawn. Clean Air is one of the only lawn care companies on this list that offers mowing and trimming — borderline landscaping services — that people may be interested in having biweekly throughout the summer, compared to lawn fertilization and care every few weeks.
TruGreen (TruNatural): Best Availability
TruGreen is perhaps the best-known lawn care company in America, with nearly 50 years of experience offering full-service lawn care to millions of customers. While it’s not dedicated to sustainable lawn maintenance, TruGreen’s TruNatural Lawn Care Plan does include an all-natural approach to sprucing up your lawn.
BBB Rating | A+ |
Year Started | 1975 |
Geographic Availability | All 50 states |
Price Range | $400 – $1,500 per year depending on plan and location |
What We Like About TruGreen | Full-service lawn care company, great reputation, many years in service and national availability |
What Could Be Improved | While TruGreen says its “committed to greener,” it’s clear that sustainability is not its top priority. TruGreen only offers one natural care plan, and it’s pretty limited in its scope. |
TruGreen Environmental Impact
EcoWatch strives to provide our readers with environmentally friendly solutions. Therefore, we only recommend TruGreen’s TruNatural Lawn Care Plan, as it’s the only 100% natural lawn care service option the company offers.
On its website, TruGreen says it is “committed to greener” by implementing more efficient routing and by working with government agencies and environmental groups to pass “common-sense fertilizer laws.” Click here to read its commitment to greener solutions.
TruGreen Services & Pricing
TruGreen’s pricing system is based on several factors, including the size of your lawn, the current condition of your lawn, the area you live in and the services you choose.
Here’s a look at some of TruGreen’s prices, quoted for a roughly half-acre lawn in the South:
- TruNatural Lawn Care Plan: $1,438 per year
- TruComplete Lawn Care Plan: $1,477 per year
- TruHealth Lawn Care Plan: $862 per year
- TruGreen Mosquito Defense: $470 per year
Despite being one of the more expensive options, TruGreen’s TruNatural Lawn Care Plan includes fewer services than almost any other plan. Here’s what it does include:
- All-natural lawn care that encourages healthy grass growth, gradually thickening your lawn
- Healthy lawn analysis (evaluating current conditions and determining treatment plan)
- Satisfaction guarantee
- TruExpert certified specialists (Ph.D.-certified lawn care professionals)
According to the company’s website, the TruNatural plan opts for natural fertilizer and avoids traditional weed killers that contain hazardous chemicals. Customers can add weed care services for no additional cost, but be wary that this likely means TruGreen representatives will be using chemical weed killers on your lawn.
TruGreen has a mobile app and a live chat function that allows customers to speak with representatives in real-time. The company also offers its full-program customers a “Healthy Lawn Guarantee” that promises that a specialist will return as many times as needed to re-treat the lawn at no extra cost.
Our Take on TruGreen
TruGreen is a tried-and-true lawn care company that offers some of the best lawn care services in America. It stands out from the competition by offering five annual lawn maintenance programs, plus options you can purchase individually, like pest control services, lawn aeration, shrub care and tree services. However, of these five plans, only one uses all-natural products, which is a big downside in our eyes.
Lawn Doctor: Best Guarantee
Lawn Doctor is a full-service lawn care company that’s focused on lawn maintenance services customized for each individual customer. The company is one of the few to offer a money-back satisfaction guarantee.
BBB Rating | A+ |
Year Started | 1967 |
Geographic Availability | 39 States |
Price Range | Varies by location |
What We Like About Lawn Doctor | A locally owned company with lots of experience, Lawn Doctor offers a wide array of services in its organic lawn care plan. |
What Could Be Improved | Not all of its plans have organic lawn care products, and the company is not totally dedicated to sustainability. |
Lawn Doctor Environmental Impact
Here at EcoWatch, we encourage our readers to choose lawn care services that are the least harmful to the environment. As such, we recommend our readers choose Lawn Doctor’s Organic Lawn Service, as it’s the only 100% natural lawn care service option the company offers.
Lawn Doctor has a page on its website that outlines its “environmental stewardship,” including its services to promote oxygen and water flow, minimize waste and tend to your yard in an all-natural manner. You can read more about it here.
Lawn Doctor Services & Pricing
According to its website, Lawn Doctor’s organic lawn care package includes the following services:
- Power seeding
- Lawn (core) aeration
- Soil enrichment
- pH balance adjustment (sulfur or lime applications)
- Mole control (castor bean products such as Molexit)
- Organic fertilizer (with a minimum of 30% of nutrients from organic and natural sources, with the other nutrients coming from synthetic sources)
- Broadleaf and pre-emergent weed control (will be applied whenever the customer wants)
- Pest and insect control
Note that additional services can be added, but those services may involve using toxic products or methods that are harmful to the environment.
Lawn Doctor is focused on customization and offers many of its services a la carte instead of bundled into an all-inclusive plan similar to TruGreen. However, Lawn Doctor doesn’t lay out its prices online and instead asks you to reach out for a free quote.
Our Take on Lawn Doctor
Lawn Doctor is a locally owned operation, combining regional expertise with national resources for a wide variety of services, including core aeration and grub control. While it offers a good variety of services under its “organic lawn care” package, it’s not as environmentally focused as other companies we’ve highlighted on this list.
How to Choose the Best Lawn Care Company
When looking for the best lawn care company, there are a few things you should consider to ensure you’re getting the best yard care and the best customer care. Here’s what we focused on when choosing our recommendations:
Variety of Services
The type of lawn care program you need will depend entirely on the current state of your lawn and your desired outcome. In most cases, you’re going to want to choose a company that offers a wide variety of lawn care services, which may or not include the following:
- Aeration
- Grass seeding
- Fertilization
- Weed control
- Soil pH control
- Mowing
- Trimming
- DIY services
You’ll also want to consider how much time and money you’re willing to invest in your yard. Will you need a one-time service or weekly or biweekly maintenance? Do you want products custom-tailored to your lawn that you can spray yourself by simply attaching to a hose, or are you looking for professionals to come and tend to your yard with more hands-on services?
Product Ingredients
We’ve said it many times and we’ll say it again — EcoWatch only recommends that you use natural products on your lawn. Most of the companies outlined in this article have their product ingredients on their websites, so you can look into what you’d be treating your lawn with before you pay a dime. Be wary that lawn care products that are labeled “organic” or “all natural” typically just mean that the product was minimally processed, but there could still be small amounts of toxins in there. For example, Lawnbright admits that its Green Machine fertilizer is a petroleum product that was created with natural gas methods, even though the main ingredient is natural.3
Company Size and Availability
You’ll want to take company size and availability into account when choosing the best lawn care provider. Larger, more national companies are typically able to offer a wider variety of services and shorter wait times because they have more resources, but you may not get the most personalized service. On the other hand, small, local companies may not have as much capacity with fewer employees and resources, but they’re more likely to cater to your needs and build a relationship with you.
Professionalism and Experience
Whether you’re hiring a subscription service to guide you through DIY lawn care or having landscapers come to your house, you want a reputable company full of professionals. Some companies, such as TruGreen, will boast about their Ph.D.-certified technicians and rigorous training programs.4 If you can’t find any information on a lawn care company’s website, don’t be afraid to ask about employee training and qualifications.
Customer Reviews
This is a no-brainer, but don’t hire a company without reading what its customers have to say about it. If a company has a low Better Business Bureau score or hundreds of negative reviews online, it’s probably safe to assume your experience won’t be pleasant.
Guarantee
Lawn care is not cheap, so it would be a shame to spend a ton of money on products and services and not see any results. On their respective websites, TruGreen promises to keep returning to your lawn at no additional cost until you are satisfied, while Lawn Doctor offers a full-refund option. Before you fork over that credit card, ask the company about its satisfaction guarantee.
How Much Does Lawn Care Cost?
It’s hard to say exactly how much lawn care costs, because many companies will base price on a variety of factors unique to your home. The price often varies depending on location, yard size and treatment plan.
In general, lawn care services can cost anywhere from $50 to $100 per visit, so getting an annual plan or opting for DIY lawn care companies can often save you money in the long run. Here’s a look at some of the average costs of typical lawn care treatments:
Lawn Service | Average Cost |
---|---|
Lawn mowing | $60 per week |
Weeding | $40 per hour |
Leaf removal | $300 per service |
Fertilization | $12 per hour |
Tree and shrub care | $450 per service |
Aeration | $125 per service |
The good news is that most lawn care companies will offer a free quote after you answer a few quick questions about your lawn.
Final Thoughts
While most lawn care is far from sustainable, we understand that many homeowners associations make lush, green grass non-negotiable to many of our eco-conscious readers. So, it’s up to you to find the best lawn care company that offers more planet-friendly options. As the companies above have proved, there are some eco-friendly solutions when it comes to yard maintenance.
With that said, we encourage you to do additional research on these companies to ensure they are practicing what they preach. Based on our findings, Sunday and Lawnbright offer the cleanest lawn care products, while Clean Air Lawn Care offers the most comprehensive lawn care service with the least environmental impact.
How We Rate Lawn Services
It’s safe to say that the EcoWatch Reviews team rates lawn services differently than most other websites. We’re not going to sugarcoat it — lawn care is harmful to the environment. But, we’re also realistic about the fact that lawns are not going anywhere anytime soon, and even the most eco-conscious of homeowners may not have a choice when it comes to maintaining a clean and uniform lawn.
As such, we’ve decided to review the best lawn care companies that offer services to reduce environmental impact and protect ecosystems. We rank companies based on the following criteria:
- Natural care options
- Trustworthiness
- Variety of services (that are natural)
- Guarantee
- Availability
FAQ: Best Lawn Care Companies
A lawn care service encompasses a wide variety of maintenance, including aeration, seeding, tree and shrub care, lime application and weed control. Lawn care service companies are more focused on improving the overall health of your lawn while landscaping companies are more focused on aesthetics, performing tasks like planting, trimming, mulching and design.
Lawn care products can be safe, but unfortunately, most aren’t. The only way to know for sure is to check the product ingredient label. Be wary that lawn care products that are labeled “organic” or “all natural” typically just mean that the product was minimally processed, but there could still be trace amounts of chemicals or toxins in there.
Whether lawn care services are worth it will depend on personal preference. For some people, having a lawn worthy of a double-take is important, yet they don’t have the time or desire to take care of it themselves. If you don’t mind performing your own lawn care services, it could still be worth investing in products from a company like Sunday or Lawnbright. Not only is the subscription service convenient, but you’ll have more assurance that you’re using clean products that are tailored to improve your lawn.
Well, we would hope so! Hiring a full-service lawn care company is much different from hiring your neighbor’s 12-year-old son to mow your lawn.
If you’re having lawn care workers in your yard, you want to make sure you’re hiring a reputable company with qualified employees. Some companies, such as TruGreen, will boast about their certified technicians and rigorous training programs.6 If you can’t find any information on a lawn care company’s website, don’t be afraid to ask about employee training and qualifications when you get a quote.
We certainly think so. The issue many people take up with organic lawn care is that it is a gradual improvement. In most cases, chemical-free fertilizers are not going to turn your lawn lush and green as quickly as chemical-filled ones. But, that lush lawn will come with a big cost that could lead to chemical harm, damaging or killing off ecosystems and endangering the environment, your family and your pets.
Plus, when you use toxins in your yard, the grass and soil become dependent on them to thrive. Overall, organic lawn care is the best and most sustainable way to keep up your yard.
The best all-natural way to get a good lawn begins with a soil test — which many of the lawn care companies we’ve outlined in this article will start with. Doing a soil test will tell you which nutrients your lawn is lacking. Then, buy products accordingly — just make sure you’re using 100% natural lawn fertilizers and weed killers that don’t contain harmful chemicals.
There are several more sustainable alternatives to a lawn, including converting part or all of your lawn to naturalized, tall grass; low-growing turf grass that requires little maintenance; or installing a wildflower, bee or vegetable garden.